Fence



G. A. CHRIST.

'(No Model.)

FENQE.

Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

Eden/502 fzaafa e C Z F ZQ QQMK UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

GUSTAVE A. CHRIST, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,331, dated January6, 1891.

Application filed May 1, 1890.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE A. CHRIST, of Grand Rapids, in the county ofKent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same.

My invention is an improvement upon the class of fence shown in LettersPatent of the United States granted to me on the 17 th day of December,1889, and numbered 417,383.

The present improvements relate more particularly to means for holdingthe wire to the post, to an improved form of ground-plate combined withprongs by which the post is anchored in the ground, and in the detailsof construction of an anchor for holding the wires down between theposts.

My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a'section of fence. Fig. 2 is a frontview of the prongs of the post. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the cliplocked. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the clip when open. Fig. 5 is a centralsection of the base-plate with prongs in position. Figs. 6 and 7 aredetail views.

In the drawings, A represents the post, which I prefer to make of flatbar-iron, and which when made of that material may be from an inch and ahalf to two inches in width and three-sixteenths of an inch thick,though I do not confine myself to these dimensions. When the top andfaciaboards are used, I use the metal post, as shown in my said patent;but the clip is adapted to use with a wooden post. The foot of the postis formed of two flat prongs a a. These are riveted to the foot of thepost, one on each side. The points of the post-foot, as shown in my saidpatent, are made of spring metal and are turned outward; but theelasticity of the metal is not strictly necessary, as they may be madeof pliable metal, with only the extremity bent outward. If made ofelastic material, the outward curve throughout the greater extent of theprong is the same before being driven into the ground 5 but if made ofsuch material that the prongs may be bent, then cheaper material may beused and only the extremities are bent outward and the fur= ther bendingtakes place as the prongs are Serial No. 350,154. (No model.)

driven into the ground, the bent points or acting as guides and causingthem to diverge as they are driven. The ground-plates D are made withouter edges bent downward to form holding-flanges d, which lie parallelto the line of the fence. The point of my invention in this is inrespect to the openings for the prongs. These are cut to leave tongues ee, these tongues extending inwardly transversely to the fence anddownwardly, so that when the prongs are driven through against the freeends of the tongues any force tending to draw out the prongs will causethem to draw upward on the tongues and to be pinched between the end ofthe tongues and the inner margin of the hole, and thus be firmly locked.The prongs a a are therefore automatically locked in the plate by thesimple act of driving, and the plate becomes a rigid part of the thepost-foot and gives it a broad and firm base. The clip for holding thewire to the post is shown at E. I-Ieretofore the edge of the post hasbeen cut to form a tongue, behind which the wire is lodged and held bybending in the tongue. This weakens the post by removal of metal on theedge, and is otherwise objectionable. out of a separate piece offlexible sheet metal approximately in theform of the letter S. It has ahole for the rivet 1, by which it is held to the post, and a lowertongue 2 in hook form with a space for receiving the wire 3. It has alsoan upper tongue 4, extending in one direction opposite the lower andadapted to be bent around the edge of the post. WVhen the post is put upfor shipping, this tongue is unbent and the whole clip is riveted to thepost in a position lying wholly against the flat side of the post, inwhich reversed position no part extends over the margin exposed tobending. When ready to receive the wires, the clip is turned, as shown,and holds the wire firmly against the post, being i self held by thetongue bent around the edge of the post. This clip may be used with awooden post.

Between the posts I place upon the wires an anchonbar F where necessary.It is connected to the wires by clips in the manner above specified, andthe lower wire thus connected to the anchor-bar is held down by ananchor-foot G. This has prongs and a groundplate like the posts abovedescribed, and be- The clip E is cut 1 tween the upper ends of theprongs is riveted a block II with a hook it formed on one side to hookover the lower wire, Figs. 1 and 6.

To avoid the expense of twisting and to brace more securely in thedirection of the straiu,I place the end and corner posts with the widerfaces in the plane of the fence, as shown in Fig. 1. I then simply bendthe upper end without twisting to support the top and facia boards, asin Fig. 7. \Vith this arrangement the braces shown in my said patent andhere marked P do not require the quarter-turn or the bend, but maybelapped upon the side of the post and then riveted or bolted.

I claim as my invention- 1. A clip of flexible sheet material providedwith a hole for connection with the post, a tongue for receiving thewire, and another tongue in position reversed to the first, adapted tobe bent around the edge of the post, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a wire fence, an anchor consisting of a pair ofprongs, and a block interposed between said prongs and riveted thereto,said block having a hook to engage the wire, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the post having prongs at its lower end, a plate D tobe placed on the ground and having openings to receive the prongs of thepost, and the gripping-tongues e,pro jecting from the plate at theopening 11 and engaging the prongs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSWXVE A. ()IIRIS'J.

\Vitnesses:

F. A. GORHAMI, ELLIs SPEAR.

